Miriam: Tambourines of Rebellion

Bitter was the daily fare of the Jewish slaves in their Egyptian exile. What
began as forced labor steadily degenerated into acts of unspeakable brutality
and horror, culminating with Pharaoh's decree to murder all newborn male infants
and his bathing in Jewish children's blood.

While the physical labor was back-breaking, the moral toll was similarly
exacting. The family unit was shattered, wives separated from husbands who were
forced to remain at their work sites in far-away fields. The people were
demoralized and depressed, stripped of any vestige of dignity or self-respect.
Under the daily terror of the taskmaster's whip, it seemed useless to hope for a
better tomorrow.

The Jewish nation's heart had become too dulled, their minds too numbed and
their bodies too worn to muster any faith.

One group of slaves, however, did not succumb, and carried in their hearts an
inextinguishable spark of optimism. They retained their human dignity, they
continued to believe in a better life. Encouraging their families daily with
superhuman strength, they remained confident that their prayers would be
answered.

This group of slaves was the Jewish women.

"In the merit of the righteous women of that generation, our forefathers were
redeemed from Egypt."1

After an exhausting day of excruciating labor, the women would polish their
mirrors and use them to beautify themselves for their husbands.2

At night, the women would sneak out to the men's camps bringing hot,
nourishing food. They would heat water in the fields and bathe their husband's
wounds.

The women spoke soft, soothing words. "Do not lose hope. We will not be
slaves to these degenerates all our lives. We have G‑d's promise that He will
have mercy on us and redeem us."

Many women conceived during these visits, subsequently giving birth to the
children who would ensure the continuity of the Jewish people.3

How did these Jewish women discover their reservoirs of hope amidst a hopeless
situation?

The women had a leader and a teacher to emulate.

Her name was Miriam.

The Talmud comments: "There were three excellent leaders for Israel. They were
Moses, Aaron and Miriam."

While Moses and Aharon were leaders for all the people, "Miriam was the
teacher of the women."4

She was a teacher who led by example.

From where did Miriam derive her courage and vision?

Miriam's name has two meanings, both exemplifying the qualities of her
character.

The first, from the Hebrew root mar, is "bitterness."

Miriam was born at the time that the oppression of the exile had reached its
nadir. "And they [the Egyptians] embittered [vayemarreru, from the root
mar] their lives with hard work" (Exodus 1:14).

Born into the worst period of servitude, Miriam felt the bitterness and ache
of her people. Her earliest years were formed by the heartbreaking reality of
the Jewish exile.

Witnessing the murders and the torment, she wept with her brethren, praying
incessant prayers, and hoping beyond hope for a better future.

Miriam was personally exposed to the decrees of the wicked Pharaoh; no one
could understand the bitterness of the exile better than Miriam.

The other meaning of Miriam's name is "rebellion" (from the root meri).

Despite being born into the most difficult period of oppression, Miriam
rebelled from her earliest age against the slave mentality engulfing her people.

Though she felt their pain acutely, she would not succumb to fear or despair.
Though she was exposed to abject cruelty, she would not yield to moral
corruption or apathy. Bravely and resolutely, she kept vigilant watch over the
faith in the promise of redemption.

We are introduced to Miriam just as the new Pharaoh ascends the Egyptian throne.
"There arose a new king over Egypt…And he spoke to the Hebrew midwives, the name
of one was Shifrah and the name of the other Puah.

"And he said, 'When you act as a midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on
the birthing stool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter
she shall live.'"

Despite this decree, "The midwives feared G‑d and did not act as the king of
Egypt commanded them…And it came to pass because the midwives feared G‑d that He
made them Houses…"(Exodus 1:8-17).

Rashi explains that the names of the midwives mentioned were the professional
names of Jocheved and Miriam.

Jocheved (Miriam's mother) was called Shifrah because she was expert in
beautifying (from the root shafar) and cleansing the newborn. Miriam,
though still a child, was expert in cooing (from the root pa'ah) to the
newborn and calming a crying infant with her soothing voice.5

According to the Midrash, Miriam was called Puah due to another episode. "She
revealed her face brazenly (from the root hofiya) against Pharaoh
pronouncing, 'Woe to this man, when G‑d avenges him!'

"Pharaoh was infuriated with Miriam's comment and wanted to have her killed.
But, Jocheved appeased him, 'Will you pay attention to her? She is but a child
who doesn't realize to whom she is speaking, or what she is saying!'"6

Miriam was only five years old at this time. Despite her tender years, Miriam
valiantly stood up to the mightiest ruler on earth, audaciously rebuking him for
his cruelty to her people.

This was Miriam, the mother of rebellion.

Rebelling against the status quo, fighting against apathy and cruelty.
Bravely, she and her mother disregarded Pharaoh's edict to murder the infant
boys, even providing food and necessities for their survival.7

G‑d repaid these valiant women by granting the "Houses" — from them issued
the dynasties of Priesthood, Levites and Kingship. Such positions of leadership
could only be filled by the descendants of such women who would pass on their
moral strength and convictions, enabling them to prevail over any acts of
immorality or injustice.

Another incident in Miriam's childhood also reflects her strong character and
ability to stand up against the status quo, and despite the bleakness of the
moment, find an enduring faith in a more promising future.

The Talmud relates that when Pharaoh decreed that all newborn baby boys be
cast into the Nile River, Amram, Miriam's father, decided to divorce his wife.

As the preeminent leader of the generation, Amram was setting an example for
all others. If no children would be born, innocent babies would not be killed.

All the men of the generation followed Amram's example, divorcing their own
wives.

Observing this, Miriam approached her father saying: "Father! Your decree is
worse than Pharaoh's. Pharaoh only decreed against the males, but you are
decreeing that our people should be bereft of both males and females!

"Pharaoh is a wicked man and therefore it is unlikely that his decree will
stand, but you are righteous and your decree will be carried out.

"Furthermore, Pharaoh is only doing evil in this world. The murdered infants
are innocent and have a portion in the World to Come. But your decree will
deprive them of the next world, for if a child is never born, how can he gain a
portion in the future world?

"You must remarry Mother. She is destined to give birth to a son who will set
Israel free!"8

Miriam was six years old when she confronted her father. Her words made such
a profound impact on him that he brought her before the Sanhedrin (Jewish
Supreme Court) to repeat her petition.

The members of the Sanhedrin responded to Amram, "You forbade (us to
remain married to our wives), you must now permit."

He said, "Should we return to our wives quietly?"

They answered, "And who will let all the Jewish people know (to likewise
remarry their wives)?"9

Amram placed his wife on a beautiful chupa (bridal platform). Aaron
and Miriam danced and sang before her, as before a bride. Miriam sang
repeatedly, "My mother is destined to give birth to a son who will set Israel
free!"

Though Jocheved was 130 years old, her youth miraculously returned and she
became beautiful as a fifteen year old. Even the ministering angels joined with
them singing, "joyous mother of children."10

After seeing this, the rest of the Jewish men also remarried their wives. An
entire generation was transformed, all due to the courage and vision of the
young Miriam, who had the confidence to speak her mind and declare her prophecy.

Shortly after, Jocheved gave birth to a son and saw that "he was good."

At the moment that Moses was born, the entire house was filled with the holy
light of his Divine radiance.11 Amram kissed Miriam on
her head and said to her, "My daughter, your prophecy has been fulfilled!"

The happiness of the moment was shattered, however, with the realization that
this male child would be taken to be killed.

"And when Jocheved could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark made of
reeds…and put the child in it and laid it in the rushes by the river's bank. And
his sister (Miriam) stood far away, to see what would be done to him." (Exodus
2:3-4)

When they took Moses to the river, the disheartened Jocheved hit Miriam on
the head and said, "My daughter where is your prophecy now?"12

But Miriam remained stubbornly resolute.

She stood by the river to see not if, but how her prophecy
would unfold.

She, too, felt the pain and bitterness of her baby brother being torn away
from her family. But at the same time, she was filled with her spirit of
rebellion — she would not succumb to hopelessness.

This was Miriam. She encompassed the dual qualities of feeling the intensity
of pain while at the same time rebelling against its overpowering hold to
discover a seed of faith and yearning, deep within.

In the thicket of the bushes, Miriam stood watch over her brother's fledgling
life. It was she who witnessed Batyah, the daughter of Pharaoh, come to bathe in
the Nile River. Discovering the basket at the edge of the river and hearing the
woeful cries of the infant within, Batyah decided to rescue the child.

It was a self-assured Miriam who approached Batyah to suggest that she would
bring the baby to a Hebrew wet-nurse. Unbeknownst to Batyah, Miriam brought
Moses back to his own mother.

Moses remained in his home, absorbing the crucial spiritual nourishment of
these tender years until he was weaned. Only after being equipped with his
parents' love and teachings was Moses transferred back to the royal palace to
begin his role as leader and redeemer.

Miriam was there, standing watch on the bank of the Nile, as her entire
nation's future hung in balance over the precarious fate of an infant floating
in a small basket in the mammoth river. But never did her faith in the
redemption of her people falter. As the leader of the women, Miriam imbued this
quality in their aching hearts. And, it was this quality that empowered the
righteous women to be the purveyors of the redemption.

We are now many decades later, on the shores of the Red Sea.

Moses has grown, and has returned from Midian as the divinely appointed
redeemer of his people. G‑d had performed the wondrous ten plagues to punish the
Egyptians' cruelty and free His people from their oppression. The people have
marched triumphantly out of Egypt. Then, as they were being chased by a
recalcitrant king and his army, G‑d miraculously split the sea, saving His
people and drowning their enemies.

Finally, after hundreds of years in exile, their enemies had been utterly
thwarted and the Jews experienced a complete, miraculous salvation. The Jewish
people's ordeal in Egypt was over! Their servitude had come to a end and their
redemption was palpable.

Standing at the shores of the Red Sea, the Jewish people, under the direction
of their leader, Moses, begin to sing the Shirat Hayam, a song
expressing their ecstatic gratitude and thanksgiving to G‑d.

And as Moses and his nation concluded their song, something inexplicable
happens.

"And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her
hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines, dancing. And Miriam
answered them, 'Sing to the L-rd…'"(Exodus 15:20-21).

Moses and the men sang their song. And then Miriam and the women rose to sing
their song.

The men sang with their voices. But the women's song was composed with voice,
tambourines and dance. The women's hearts were full of a greater joy and their
song was more comprehensive.

What was the woman's contribution to the singing? Why did Miriam and the women's
singing surpass the men's song?

Rashi (Exodus 15:20) explains how the women had these tambourines with them.
"The righteous women of that generation were confident that the Holy One Blessed
be He would make miracles for them, so they prepared tambourines and dances."

When the Jewish people left Egypt, they left hastily. So hastily, in fact,
that they were not even able to finish baking their bread, and it baked flat on
their backs as matzah. The women were not concerned about their physical
sustenance; they were certain that G‑d would provide. They lived in a higher
dimension, beyond the natural reality. Yet despite their hurriedness, the women
took the time to prepare, well in advance, something that they felt would be
essential.

After hundreds of years in bitter exile — after witnessing acts of utter
barbarism, after weeping rivers of tears for the babies torn from their
arms, after seeing their children cemented alive into brick walls to fill
missing quotas — what did these women prepare while still slaves in Egypt?

What was on the minds of these women who had seen affliction beyond the human
breaking point? What was on the hearts of these women who bore too much anguish
to fathom? What do their worn, tired, tortured and beaten bodies carry out of
Egypt?

Tambourines.

Instruments with which to sing and praise their G‑d for the miracles they
knew would come to be.

Engulfed in misery, the women did not lose their vision. Mourning their
murdered children with their feminine sensitivity more keenly than any of their
male counterparts possibly could, the women found the strength to fortify
themselves not to lose hope.

The women found meri, Miriam's spirit of rebellion. They would rebel
against depression that would have been a natural outgrowth of such
circumstances. They would rebel against apathy. They would rebel against
hopelessness.

Amidst their agony, the women prepared tambourines. They fanned the spark of
yearning within their worn souls until it grew into an overpowering,
inextinguishable flame of faith.

As bitter as their lives became, their faith grew stronger.

Certain beyond a shred of doubt that their G‑d would remember them, their
only concern was being adequately prepared to sing with the appropriate
expressions of joy for the miracles that were sure to occur!

This was the strength of Miriam. A feminine strength born out from bitterness; a
faith sewed amidst despair.

This was the strength of the women who left Egypt, equipped with tambourines
and dances of joy and faith.

These mirrors
were later donated by the women to the Tabernacle. At first, Moses was reluctant
to use what he perceived to be tools of vanity in the making of the divine
dwelling. But G‑d attested to the merit of the women in using these mirrors to
encourage their husbands by instructing that the mirrors be melted down made
into the kiyyor, the water basin at which the priests purified themselves
before performing the service.

Chana Weisberg is the editor of TheJewishWoman.org. She lectures internationally on issues relating to women, relationships, meaning, self-esteem and the Jewish soul. She is the author of five popular books.

Explanation of name Miriam
I am named for my GreatAunt Miriam who was murdered at Auschwitz. This means so VERY much to me. Kol hakavod.
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AnonymousJanuary 5, 2017

K my name is Miriam and you don't know how much this meant to me...
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Brad Watson, MiamiMiamiDecember 31, 2015

Some state that Miriam was 7 years older than Moses and 4 years older than Aaron. If this is correct, it would be a BIG example of G-D=7_4 theory (google that). Can you confirm this with sources? Apparently, Miriam's age is not in the Torah
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RichardPhila.Pa.March 24, 2014

It's exciting to read of Miriam heroic life but, where are such acts recorded in this long history of the Jews? We know where to read of Moses and Joshua, Joseph, Solomon. Where does one find such biography for Miriam? Is any one source more reccomended than others?
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Songs of IsraelSalinaJanuary 4, 2014

Thank you
for this article and this site. For I am being drawn into my Jewish heritage as a believer. G-d has taught me to sing and dance and now I understand further what is going on in my being and what my place is to be as a woman of faith.
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Miriam SklarDecember 20, 2013

Miriam
The series on Miriam and Exodus was wonderful Having been named Miriam I have spent much time reading and learning about her. I have been told that I am like her in many ways For this I thank HASHEM greatly!! I feel blessed and honored to be like the Miriam of our history. I say to all who share the name we should be sure we are living up to the great woman of our people! We are leaders and helpers and filled with love lets be sure we use it for only good.
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Patsy Jean BallVirginiaDecember 16, 2013

Jewish
I prayed as a little girl to be Jewish. I read my bible most of the time and I knew in that book was written that you were a chosen people of The Most High. I hope I don't offend anyone by writing the previous phrase.I read everyday from this website. You have given me knowledge that brings such joy. This one was no exception, Miram. I still wish I were a Jew at 63 years and a female. You will never fully understand how I thirst for your words and comments.Thank You
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MiriamOctober 18, 2013

Hey...this is so awesome, I've learnt so much I didn't know. All Miriams! Let's rise to the occasion and the name.
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AnonymousApril 18, 2013

Miriam
Have always carried a torch for her. In that regard it's my favorite name. Whenever i say it or hear it, i day dream back to her and The Exodus.
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Ken GossMissouri, USAApril 17, 2013

Excellent
Beautiful illustration! What an example she gave to the world. Very well done. May G-d bless you.
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AnonymousFebruary 5, 2013

Dear Sister, Thank you for sharing Miriam with me. I have always believed her to be a cherished daughter of G-d and now that I know more about her and her courage to stand for truth and righteousness I feel greater respect for her and all women who honor their G-d. I hope to read more of your writings.Barbara
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"houses" footnote please?
Hello... may I have a reference for the following, so I can do some study? Thank you!---------------"G-d repaid these valiant women by granting the "Houses" -- from them issued the dynasties of Priesthood, Levites and Kingship. Such positions of leadership could only be filled by the descendants of such women who would pass on their moral strength and convictions, enabling them to prevail over any acts of immorality or injustice."
Reply

Miriamkampala, ugandaJuly 11, 2012

wow!
good detail attached....now i know why i get to do somethings the way i do....
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MordiJuly 25, 2011

Leiby Kretzky
Your history of Miriam reminds me that in the face of the murder of Leiby Kletzky, we should rebel against depression; rebel against apathy, rebel against hopelessness.

Thank You
Just composed a lesson plan basing most of it off this divrei Torah. Searched... for information on this generation of women, there's not much out there. So, thank you. And kol hakavod on all the research!
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miriamchaguanas, trinidadJanuary 24, 2011

love the article it describes exactly who i am and it's comforting to know the reason for the bitterness and rebellion. excellent article i feel wonderful to have such a strong name
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MordiJanuary 12, 2011

any chance
that you can distinguish for me Exodus 15:1 Moses' song versus Exodus 15:19 Miriam's Song in terms of the words. Did they sing the same song?

In Siddur Tehillat Hashem on page 198 does the paragraph starting " Az Yashir Moshe ... " refer to Moshe's song or Miriam's song? Or Is it alluding to both?
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Miriam Yanovskysharon, USDecember 1, 2010

Good job chana! this article really moves you this is exactly what I needed for my report
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